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Japan

This was the trip that was conceived by the kids (Dylan and Foop) and promoted by Bort and Foop and attended only by Jen and I. Leia mais
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    Nikesenko Trail (cont’d)

    3 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ 4 °C

    Some more shots of the trail and some of the cute buildings...the food was delicious and the atmosphere was so friendly. Key memories of this area:
    1. Cafe and lunch over open fire.
    2. Oberajon shop and purchase of shirt and tea and Japanese sweets.
    3. Layout and architecture of the village.
    4. Glimpse of a bygone era and still relatively isolated.    Leia mais

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    Tsumago Village

    3 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ 10 °C

    Remembering the lovely lunch we had in this great little cafe with an open fire...so welcoming and relaxing.
    Some photos of the temple in the village as well.
    Memories of this place were:
    • Peaceful
    • Tranquil
    • Historical
    • Old world    Leia mais

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    Birds and Rail Travel

    3 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ 3 °C

    Walked to a rail station and encountered a scene somewhat reminiscent of the Hitchcock’s “The Birds” with masses of black birds sitting on the power line before taking the train to Tokyo...
    The other photo is atypical of the general experience on Japanese rail networks where there is space and you can sit or stand comfortably :).Leia mais

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    Tokyo

    4 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Our first exposure to Tokyo after finding our host apartment and reconciling just how small and functional everything is in Japan.

    Tokyo is the capital city and most populous prefecture of Japan. Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, the prefecture forms part of the Kantō region on the central Pacific coast of Japan's largest island, Honshu.
    Tokyo is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country, and houses the seat of the Emperor and the national government. The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest urban economy and the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 38.1 million residents as of 2016.    Leia mais

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    Exploring Tokyo

    4 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Walking around the city center is an interesting experience in Tokyo as it is full of little lane ways that offer all sorts of quaint little cafes and restaurants.
    We also travelled up to a viewing tower to look out over the sprawling metropolis which extends for miles in all directions.

    Originally a fishing village named Edo, the city became a prominent political center in 1603, when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population numbering more than one million. Following the end of the shogunate in 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to the city, which was renamed Tokyo (literally "eastern capital"). Tokyo was devastated by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, and again by Allied bombing raids during World War II. Beginning in the 1950s, the city underwent rapid reconstruction and expansion, going on to lead Japan's post-war economic recovery. Since 1943, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has administered the prefecture's 23 special wards (formerly Tokyo City), various bed towns in the western area, and two outlying island chains.

    Tokyo is categorized as an Alpha+ city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Part of an industrial region that includes the neighboring cities of Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Chiba, Tokyo is Japan's leading center of business and finance. In 2019, Tokyo hosted 36 of the Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2020, it ranked third on the Global Financial Centres Index, behind New York City and London.

    The city has hosted multiple international events, including the 1964 Summer Olympics and three G7 Summits (1979, 1986, and 1993); it will also host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Tokyo is an international center of research and development and is represented by several major universities, notably the University of Tokyo. The city is the primary hub for Japan's Shinkansen bullet train system, and is connected by an extensive network of rail and subways. Notable districts of Tokyo include Chiyoda (the site of the Imperial Palace and National Diet Building), Shinjuku (the city's administrative center), and Shibuya (a commercial and business hub).    Leia mais

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    Shinjuku Go-yen

    4 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We had a great visit to this park and walked around the beautiful area. This was the site of the famous toilet incident as well as the place of one of my favourite photos of my gorgeous wife.
    The shōgun bequeathed this land to Lord Naitō (daimyō) of Tsuruga in the Edo period who completed a garden here in 1772. After the Meiji Restoration the house and its grounds were converted into an experimental agricultural centre. It then became a botanical garden before becoming an imperial garden in 1879. The current configuration of the garden was completed in 1906. Most of the garden was destroyed by air raids in 1945, during the later stages of World War II. The garden was rebuilt after the war.

    The jurisdiction over the Imperial Palace Outer Garden and the Kyoto imperial garden was transferred to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (now the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) in 1947.

    On May 21, 1949, the garden became open to the public as a national park. It came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment in January 2001, with the official English name "Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden". The official Japanese name remains Shinjuku Gyoen, where gyoen means "imperial garden".

    In 1989, the Shinjuku Gyoen was the site chosen for the funeral rites of Emperor Shōwa before he was buried at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard.    Leia mais

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    Tokyo

    4 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    This was a special experience for Jen as she loves happy things and pretty lights...nirvana for her and is her form she wanted me to stand in the photos with her ❤️.
    My recollection of the night was that we walked around this section if the city and ate a restaurant that was overlooking a central railway station in Tokyo.Leia mais

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    Meiji-Jinku

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Meiji Shrine located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.
    The grounds of this shrine are very picturesque and beautiful and I seem to remember having to wash my hands before entering which seems to be a practice common to Japanese temples and other places of religious significance.    Leia mais

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    Meji Shrine

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    After the emperor's death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location.

    Construction began in 1915 under Itō Chūta, and the shrine was built in the traditional nagare-zukuri style, using primarily Japanese cypress and copper. The building of the shrine was a national project, mobilizing youth groups and other civic associations from throughout Japan, who contributed labor and funding. The main timbers came from Kiso in Nagano, and Alishan in Taiwan, then a Japanese territory, with materials being utilized from every Japanese prefecture, including Karafuto, Korea, Kwantung, and Taiwan. It was estimated that the cost of the construction was ¥5,219,00 in 1920 (approximately $26 million USD today), about a quarter of the actual cost due to the donated materials and labor.

    It was formally dedicated on November 3, 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926. The interior volume of the shrine complex when originally built was 650 tsubo.[4][5] Until 1946, the Meiji Shrine was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.

    The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October 1958.

    Meiji Shrine has been visited by numerous foreign politicians, including United States President George W. Bush, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

    On the eve of new year, Japanese usually visit a Shinto shrine to prepare for the worship - Hatsumōde (初詣) of the new year. Meiji Shrine is the most popular location in Japan for hatsumōde.    Leia mais

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    The Imperial Palace

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    This was a very impressive place with a captivating history and landscape surrounding the palace.

    The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains buildings including the main palace (宮殿, Kyūden), the private residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices.

    It is built on the site of the old Edo Castle. The total area including the gardens is 1.15 square kilometres (0.44 sq mi). During the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the palace grounds were valued by some to be more than the value of all of the real estate in the state of California.    Leia mais

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    The Imperial Palace (cont’d)

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    The present Imperial Palace encompasses the retrenchments of the former Edo Castle. The modern palace Kyūden (宮殿) designed for various imperial court functions and receptions is located in the old Nishinomaru section of the palace grounds. On a much more modest scale, the residence of the current Emperor and empress is located in the Fukiage Gardens. Designed by Japanese architect Shōzō Uchii the modern residence was completed in 1993.d

    Except for Imperial Household Agency and the East Gardens, the palace is generally closed to the public, except for reserved guided tours from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Each New Year (January 2) and Emperor's Birthday, the public is permitted to enter through the Nakamon (inner gate) where they gather in the Kyuden Totei Plaza in front of the Chowaden Hall. The Imperial Family appears on the balcony before the crowd and the Emperor normally gives a short speech greeting and thanking the visitors and wishing them good health and blessings.

    Every year a poetry convention called Utakai Hajime is held at the palace on January 1.

    The old Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru compounds now comprise the East Gardens, an area with public access containing administrative and other public buildings.

    The Kitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northern enceinte of Edo Castle. It is a public park and is the site of the Nippon Budokan. To the south is Kokyo Gaien National Garden.    Leia mais

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    Imperial Palace (cont’d)

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    The present Imperial Palace encompasses the retrenchments of the former Edo Castle.
    The modern palace Kyūden (宮殿) designed for various imperial court functions and receptions is located in the old Nishinomaru section of the palace grounds. On a much more modest scale, the residence of the current Emperor and empress is located in the Fukiage Gardens. Designed by Japanese architect Shōzō Uchii the modern residence was completed in 1993.

    Except for Imperial Household Agency and the East Gardens, the palace is generally closed to the public, except for reserved guided tours from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Each New Year (January 2) and Emperor's Birthday, the public is permitted to enter through the Nakamon (inner gate) where they gather in the Kyuden Totei Plaza in front of the Chowaden Hall.
    The Imperial Family appears on the balcony before the crowd and the Emperor normally gives a short speech greeting and thanking the visitors and wishing them good health and blessings.

    Every year a poetry convention called Utakai Hajime is held at the palace on January 1.

    The old Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru compounds now comprise the East Gardens, an area with public access containing administrative and other public buildings.

    The Kitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northern enceinte of Edo Castle. It is a public park and is the site of the Nippon Budokan. To the south is Kokyo Gaien National Garden.    Leia mais

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    Senso-ji Temple

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Sensō-ji (金龍山浅草寺, Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji) is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a five-story pagoda, the Asakusa Shinto shrine,[1] as well as many shops with traditional goods in the Nakamise-dōri.Leia mais

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    Senso-Ji Temple (cont’d)

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara). According to legend, a statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 B.C. by two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari. The chief of their village, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined it by remodeling his own house into a small temple in Asakusa so that the villagers could worship Kannon.

    The first temple was founded in 645 AD, which makes it the oldest temple in Tokyo. In the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu designated Sensō-ji as tutelary temple of the Tokugawa clan.

    The Nishinomiya Inari shrine is located within the precincts of Sensō-ji and a torii identifies the entry into the hallowed ground of the shrine. A bronze plaque on the gateway structure lists those who contributed to the construction of the torii, which was erected in 1727 (Kyōhō 12, 11th month).

    During World War II, the temple was bombed and destroyed during the 10 March air raid on Tokyo. It was rebuilt later and is a symbol of rebirth and peace to the Japanese people. In the courtyard there is a tree that was hit by a bomb in the air raids, and it had regrown in the husk of the old tree and is a similar symbol to the temple itself.    Leia mais

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    Futo Park & Rainbow Bridge

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    I had a curious interaction with a robot before we travelled around the bay on a ferry.
    We went underneath Rainbow Bay bridge which was built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with construction starting in 1987 and completed in 1993. The bridge is 798 metres (2,618 ft) long with a main span of 580 metres (1,903 ft).
    Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route - Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge," the name "'Rainbow Bridge" was decided by the public.

    The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.

    The bridge can be accessed by foot from Tamachi Station (JR East) or Shibaura-futō Station (Yurikamome) on the mainland side.    Leia mais

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    Gundam Base - Diver City Shop Precinct

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    We visited a shopping precinct and discovered the Gundam robot as well as some modern art pieces that are located around the shopping precinct.

    Welcome to one of Tokyo’s strangest tourist attractions, a 20-meter robot standing in a park, overlooking the harbor of the world’s manga metropolis.

    The lifesize, plastic replica of a robot or “Mobile Suit”, from Gundam, (a hugely popular Japanese animation series), officially opened on July 11 2009 for the celebration of Gundam’s 30th anniversary, and was closed on August 31st, however such a sight could not remain hidden away for long. After attracting 4.5 million visitors in its first month on display, it popped up again the following year in Shizuoka, where Bandai manufactures its popular Gundam models.

    It was returned to Tokyo in 2011, displayed in fragments that visitors could pay a small fee to check out or take pictures with, to raise money following the tsunami that had devastated Japan. It is now back in all its glory, outside of a new theme park and museum of all things Gundam, called Gundam Base in the Diver City shopping center.

    The robot - which shoots smoke and lasers, can move its arms and head and plays disco music - will be a number one draw on the sightseeing hitlist of visiting otaku, as anime-loving geeks are called here. The Gundam robot is large enough to be visible on the drive from Narita airport to downtown, as cars cross the Tokyo Bay-spanning Rainbow Bridge.

    The Gundam series itself remains a spectacular commentary on modern warfare, originating from a country that has seen the horrors of dramatic shifts in war technology first hand. The show’s criticisms of warfare seem even more true to life as the Gundam Robot takes its place along the real Tokyo skyline.    Leia mais

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    Tokyo Station by Night

    5 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    This was the cool view of some of the Tokyo skyline at nightfall. Tomorrow is going to be amazing with as Jen has treated me to a Bonsai Class which I am excited to attend.
    From my memory we had a lovely meal overlooking the buildings and skyscrapers whiz NnaoanLeia mais

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    Shunkaen Bonsai Museum

    6 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    As part of the trip Jen gifted me an experience with a Bonsai master to understand the intricacies of the art.

    Bonsai is a Japanese art form which utilizes cultivation techniques to produce, in containers, small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penzai or penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese Hòn Non Bộ. The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years.

    We visited a famous a bonsai garden in Tokyo called Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is a bonsai garden in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 2002 by bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi.    Leia mais

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    Shunkaen Bonsai

    6 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Shunkaen houses over 1,000 trees. One of the most famous of these is estimated to be 1,000 years old, and is located in front of the house.
    Though most of the trees are displayed in the courtyard, certain trees are displayed in traditional tokonoma alcoves inside the house. The building also houses a sizeable collection of books and antique Chinese pots and tables are also displayed.
    We also observed rock gardens for the first time which are similar in principle to Bonsai.
    The master took quite a warming to Jenny ;)    Leia mais

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    Shibuya Ward

    6 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan.
    A major commercial and business centre, it houses the two busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station and Shibuya Station as well as one of the most famous intersections.

    During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known as the center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called "Bit Valley" in English, a pun on both "Bitter Valley", the literal translation of "Shibuya", as well as bit, the computer term for binary digits.    Leia mais

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    Shibuya At Night

    6 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    The name "Shibuya" is also used to refer to the shopping district which surrounds Shibuya Station. This area is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.Leia mais

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    Enoshima Island

    7 de janeiro de 2017, Japão ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    This quaint little island was a great place to visit. Firstly, it was a good walk across the bridge and we became aware of the hawks that would sometimes swoop down and pluck the for out of the hands of visitors whilst they were crossing the bridge. We travelled by train to the seaside town and then walked across to the island.

    Enoshima (江の島) is a small offshore island, about 4 km in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River which flows into the Sagami Bay of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Administratively, Enoshima is part of the mainland city of Fujisawa, and is linked to the Katase section of that city by a 600-metre-long (2,000 ft) bridge. Home to some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and adjacent coastline are the hub of a local resort area.    Leia mais

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